Richard Donner Clears Up That Wolverine Thing

October 16, 2008 - By Liam Goodwin

A few months ago someone somewhere reported that Richard Donner was spotted on the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Then people who like to make things up said that he was on the set because director Gavin Hood was having trouble with 20th Century Fox and Donner had been brought in as a ‘directing consultant’ to smooth things over. As this is the internet, the rumour spread and before long everyone though X-Men Origins: Wolverine was in trouble.

Now, in an interview with THR Lauren and Richard Donner explain what really happened and why Richard was on the Wolverine set.

“For the first time ever, I went to him and I said, ‘Could you please help me?’” Shuler Donner says. “And he came down, and he helped produce ‘Wolverine’ for me in Sydney, Australia, while I went to New Orleans on ‘Cirque du Freak.’”

As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. Before long, Internet wags were speculating that Donner was waiting in the wings to replace “Wolverine” director Gavin Hood.

“I was there to do nothing but help Gavin anyway I could, as a producer and never as a director,” Donner insists. “That was my deal with Lauren. I would never step on another director, and I didn’t go until Gavin asked me to come over and help him. He called me in L.A. and I said, ‘Hey, pal, I’m on my way.’ He’s a good buddy of mine right now.”

…and this is why Richard Donner is the man! He is by all accounts,a likable and talented filmaker. While not being an auteur like Spielberg n Scorsese n Kubrick, he is fueled by his own sense of theatre and fun. Also the X-men franchise was almost HIS in the early 90’s,but never made it past script development. Think he had his hands tied with Lethal Weapon 3